The New Moon in Cancer is on July 12, 2018 (7:48pmPDT) is also a partial Solar Eclipse (8:01pmPDT) and a supermoon.

We have had intense moons this year! Whether a full moon or a new moon or an eclipse or not, the lunations since January have held particularly strong energies. This one is no exception. It is possibly the most intense moon of the year.

Batten down the hatches!

We don’t typically associate New Moons with intensity. New Moons are new beginnings, fresh starts, time to plant seeds and begin again. Times to go inward and divine our next course. But this is not an ordinary New Moon. It is also a partial Solar Eclipse, and it is opposite Pluto; god of death, destruction, renewal, and rebirth.

Eclipse seasons (like the one we are in now through most of August) are potent times of change. Often eclipse-induced changes are abrupt, blindsiding, and unexpected. They shift the very fates our lives are linked to. Learn all about the current eclipse season and best ways to cope, thrive, and utilize its energies in this online workshop by Intuitive Astrologer Virginia Rosenberg, $28USD. Includes journal questions and ritual recommendations for guidance.

This moon wastes no time in asking us to let go. Shed skin. It is purgative. Cathartic. Extremely dramatic. Even though it is a New Moon, the eclipse chart speaks of destruction and abrupt endings.

The veil drops. The unconscious seeks to become conscious. Our memories, blind spots, and projections mingle persistently in broad daylight. Someone is making a power-grab. It might be you. It might be bureaucracy. It might be things beyond you – things like life and death, the threshold mysteries outside of mere mortal control.

Who are we, at this odd intersection of trauma and pleasure?

Things that arise and erupt now are subjective to the max. They are both personal and political. They could play on our fears and insecurities. They have deep roots in history. They are toxicities and oppressions that have always been there, waiting in the shadows for their moment to emerge.

This is an intuitive and emotional time, but more than that, our instincts are on a peak. Instincts can help keep us alive. They can help us survive. But don’t let the primal mind completely overcome better judgment.

Care, and protect yourself. Respond, rather than react. Allow emerging shadows recognition. See them for what they are, embrace them, and find which needs have been neglected or abandoned. Bring forth those needs. Cradle them. Be vulnerable and strong in your requests for recognition. Memories are alive. Early childhood conditioning and relationship with parents, lineage, and family-of-origin have an invisible hold on the current happenings.

Cancer is the sign of the mother and child. The family. The Homeplace. Borders. Breastfeeding. The female reproductive system. As Pluto in Capricorn opposes the Sun and Moon in Cancer, we see themes of patriarchal domination. Neglect, isolation, imprisonment, restriction, abuse, manipulation, and external control. Some crucial elements of our own security feel under threat. This is karmic and ancestral… and also evolutionary. It may well be a death rattle ringing for some destructive patterns that have outworn their welcome.

Call upon the Great Mother for support, care, and nurturing. Be tender, and allow tenderness to help you build a nest of belonging.

Instead of grabbing for your power, claim your empowerment. Take corrective action. Where can you accept responsibility for how you’re feeling? Where can you step out of victimhood and into the choice? What kind of healthy boundaries can be set? Practice forgiveness of historical hurts and emphasize what kind of new chapter you are building for yourself and your loved ones. Instead of underlining what didn’t go well, set the tone for cultivating what works.

Change what you can, and strengthen the ways you belong to yourself and others.

A crisis can be healing. Allow it to transform into a miracle.

Learn all about the current eclipse season and best ways to cope, thrive, and utilize its energies in this online workshop by Intuitive Astrologer Virginia Rosenberg, $28USD. Includes journal questions and ritual recommendations for guidance. Curious how eclipses are influencing your particular charts? Book a reading with Virginia instantly here.

Read New Moon Reports for your Sun and Rising Signs Below

Aries: I feel my inner world as the outer world changes shape.

You are sensitive this month, Aries. Try not to be reactive. You are naturally a fiery one, so take some deep breaths and try to cool off before making decisions. This eclipse activates your home, family, parents, your past, and your innermost foundations. Your outer world – your career, your team, your allies – these areas are changing shape. This could be driving deeply hidden insecurities and desires for professional power up to the surface. Make space to tune into your intuition. Listen to your gut. Gather and hone your support system. Nest a little or a lot. Attend to your needs – particularly the ones that didn’t get met while you were coming up.

Taurus: I am learning and adapting to change.

It might be time to change your mind, Taurus. Your very identity and sense of self is in a state of adaptation. Change is the one constant. Absorb that through the mental planes. This New Moon asks you to see things in a different light. Your faith or belief systems could be tested or turned upside-down. Perhaps you are seeing what you can trust, and noticing the places where you have been closed off. Remain open, curious, and flexible, in a beginners mind. The bigger picture, and grander vision is calling you towards it. Shed what needs to be shed so you can answer the call.

Gemini: I seek to understand my resources.

Powerful changes are unfolding in your life, Gemini. Typically in flight like a bird, these last couple weeks have been about cultivating your relationship with the ground and the commitments in life that keep you anchored. Your values are re-arranging themselves. You are separating from some deeply held attachments in order to re-root and merge towards other attachments. At part of this process, you may be confronting your shadows, as well as the projections of others. Be willing to be present with the truth, even if it can’t be communicated about. Notice where manipulations tend to occur. Uproot finished tales and feel your feet on the Earth.

Cancer: I make myself new.

It’s your Moon, Cancer! A powerful time of planting new identity. Your emotional attachments and personal relationships have been going through a very deep process of transformation. You are in the market for a new relationship altogether – whether with a new partner or an existing partner. It is time to let your old relationship premise die and begin to cultivate around the direction you are headed. What you are feeling now is more than a passing mood – it is your instinctive knowing. Make affirmations for who you are – who you know yourself to be, and who you are becoming.

Leo: I step back from service for self-care.

It is easy for you to fall into a leadership position, Leo. That’s great. That’s a gift that just keeps giving. You have been working hard, and the work will just keep coming. During this Moon, notice where you need rest and rejuvenation. And give it to yourself! You may be feeling more private than usual. It would benefit you to go into silence, or practice creative work on your own that doesn’t have an explicit ‘purpose.’ Turn the light around. Instead of generously shining your radiance outward, aim it inward. This is a soul-searching moon for unraveling and letting go. Take advantage of the silence and the cleansing nature of this time.

Virgo: I embrace play and community.

This New Moon shares similar themes for you as the last Full Moon did, Virgo. It’s easy to get into habits and rhythms. Sometimes those habits can become self-limiting. We can begin to associate certain types of experiences with certain feelings and struggle to feel those feelings at other times. Have you been stuck in an overwhelming to-do list or on auto-pilot? If so, try something totally different for fun. Branch out. Prioritize your joy and happiness for the next month. Joy doesn’t have to be dependent on external conditions, such as certain people or activities. Try new ways of enjoying yourself and your life. Feel into your heart. As much as you can, celebrate whatever and whoever is present now.

Libra: I recognize myself and strive to actualize my potential.

Set goals on this New Moon, Libra. This Moon is power-packed for your career, profession, and reputation. Your creative sector is lit up and sooner or later, that energy will translate into greater success. It won’t happen on its own, but it will happen with commitment, dedication, and follow-through. Your inner world has been deep and intense as of late. The re-parenting you’ve been seeking can gain some traction during this eclipse. You are preparing new ground to stand upon, and readying yourself to reach higher heights than you ever have before. You’re already on your way. You can do this.

Scorpio: I grow beyond what I know.

This is a Moon for branching out, Scorpio. Seek to incorporate new perspectives and renovate your belief system. Your thoughts and words are always powerful, but at this time, their power is increased. Use this power carefully, with your natural way of focus and integrity. If you are ready to bring something to an end, simply speak to that happening. If you are ready to embark on a new adventure, call it in. New horizons are dazzling your mindscapes. Be drawn into their beauty. Find the trail beyond the one you’ve journeyed thus far. That one is meant for you.

Sagittarius: To gain more ground, I surrender.

It’s not like you to surrender, Sagittarius. You are more likely to buck and run than give up being right. But this Moon transcends “right” and enters the realm of intimacy. Release your sword. In intimacy, the feeling of being met comes not from agreeing with each other’s perspectives, but from truly honoring them and allowing one another to share in the experience. Beyond sharing experiences, this Eclipse may also prompt you to share resources with the ones you love most. Where can you build trust in your own self-sufficiency, regardless of conditions?

Capricorn: I rely on mutual support.

You are used to being the supportive one, Capricorn. What happens when you yourself need support? Is it difficult to admit when you do? Who in your life is going to have your back? Use this Moon to commit to new relationships or recommit to relationships that feel most reciprocal. Focus on sharing and finding balance and harmony with your companions. While your relationships are in focus, you are also working on a long-term project of transforming yourself. It does take two to tango. Look at where you could improve to be a better lover, friend, and companion. Choosing to love yourself, even more, is a great place to start.

Aquarius: I heal further into Truth.

This Moon marks new beginnings in your daily life. That can include your diet, your work, your mundane experience. That may not sound super exciting, but the spiritual developments that are unfolding for you are unprecedented, Aquarius. You are beginning to adjust your life to become a more suited container for the spiritual energy channeling through you now. You may no longer be willing to be overlooked or pushed aside. Embrace that shift. As you come into your truth, keep standing in it and holding it up, inspiring others to do the same with their truth.

Pisces: I create and create and create.

Ah, Pisces, ruled by the ocean. Your imagination is fed by an inexhaustible supply. What creative projects are you pursuing? This Moon is an excellent time to make your mark on their progress. There are changes happening in your social sphere. Maybe you find that you want to collaborate with someone new or join a different kind of organization. You can still be loyal to your friends even as you find new ones. What guides you now is the instruction to keep your creative, imaginative spirit alive, and find supporters to help make it manifest.